Jacintha Saldanha death inquest delayed again

Indo Asian News Service

10 September 2013

London, Sep 10 (IANS) The inquest into last year's death of India-born nurse Jacintha Saldanha in London following a prank call from two Australian radio jockeys about the then pregnant Duchess of Cambridge has been put off for the second time.

The inquest, which was scheduled to be held from Thursday in London, was initially scheduled for May this year, media reported.

A new date for the hearing is yet to be announced.

The Guardian quoted a spokesman for Westminster coroner's court where the inquest was first opened as saying that the hearing was put off again Monday because coroner Fiona Wilcox was "seeking more information".

Saldanha, 46, a mother of two, was found unconscious in December last year in the quarters of the King Edward VII Hospital in central London where she was working as a senior nurse.

She was pronounced dead after being rushed to the hospital.

The two radio jockeys, Mel Greig and Michael Christian, had called the King Edward VII's hospital in London Dec 4 last year posing as Queen Elizabeth and Prince Charles.

Saldanha received the call and, not understanding their prank, transferred the phone call to a colleague who then provided them information about Prince William's then pregnant wife Kate Middleton.

Three days later, Saldanha was found hanging.

Labour MP Keith Vaz, who has been helping the Saldanha family from Bristol since the nurse's death, said he was surprised at a second adjournment.

"They (the family) were surprised to hear that the inquest has been adjourned just a few days before it was due to begin," BBC quoted Vaz as saying.

"We very much hope we will have a new date set soon."

The coroner has granted anonymity to a duty nurse who might be the last person to speak with Saldanha on the night of hoax call.

According to the media, the inquest will also hear from security staff and police.